Israel Slams Dutch Fan Ban Ahead of Europa League Clash
(MENAFN) Israel lashed out at the Netherlands on Monday, branding it an “antisemitism hotspot” after officials in the Dutch city of Alkmaar refused to lift a ban on Israeli football fans attending a Europa League match, despite diplomatic pressure from Tel Aviv.
Supporters of Israeli club Hapoel Be’er Sheva are barred from the Oct. 15 fixture against AZ Alkmaar. Local authorities rated the match “very high risk,” citing fears of protests and possible clashes.
In a statement on the US social media platform X, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said the decision “rewards those who threaten and incite violence” and “runs counter to the very spirit of sport.”
The ministry charged that Dutch authorities were punishing “the victims, not the attackers,” a reference to clashes involving Israeli fans in Amsterdam in November 2024. It also alleged that anti-Israel rhetoric from Dutch politicians and public figures was fueling antisemitic attacks across the country.
The ministry cast the ban, together with a boycott of the Eurovision Song Contest over Israel’s inclusion amid the war in Gaza, as “yet another stain” on the Netherlands. It accused the country of increasingly becoming one of the world’s leading “hotspots for antisemitism.”
Dutch authorities did not immediately respond to the accusations.
Earlier Monday, an Israeli news outlet reported that Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar had raised the matter with his Dutch counterpart, Tom Berendsen, in an effort to overturn the ban. Israeli officials also approached the Dutch Foreign Ministry and the Alkmaar municipality, urging that Israeli fans be admitted to the stadium and that their safety be guaranteed, the report said.
The standoff comes almost two years after the unrest around a match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ajax in Amsterdam in November 2024. The violence was preceded by racist and anti-Palestinian chants from Israeli supporters, along with vandalism and the tearing down of a Palestinian flag.
In August, a Dutch broadcaster announced it would boycott the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest over Israel’s participation, its second straight year of boycotting the event.
Supporters of Israeli club Hapoel Be’er Sheva are barred from the Oct. 15 fixture against AZ Alkmaar. Local authorities rated the match “very high risk,” citing fears of protests and possible clashes.
In a statement on the US social media platform X, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said the decision “rewards those who threaten and incite violence” and “runs counter to the very spirit of sport.”
The ministry charged that Dutch authorities were punishing “the victims, not the attackers,” a reference to clashes involving Israeli fans in Amsterdam in November 2024. It also alleged that anti-Israel rhetoric from Dutch politicians and public figures was fueling antisemitic attacks across the country.
The ministry cast the ban, together with a boycott of the Eurovision Song Contest over Israel’s inclusion amid the war in Gaza, as “yet another stain” on the Netherlands. It accused the country of increasingly becoming one of the world’s leading “hotspots for antisemitism.”
Dutch authorities did not immediately respond to the accusations.
Earlier Monday, an Israeli news outlet reported that Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar had raised the matter with his Dutch counterpart, Tom Berendsen, in an effort to overturn the ban. Israeli officials also approached the Dutch Foreign Ministry and the Alkmaar municipality, urging that Israeli fans be admitted to the stadium and that their safety be guaranteed, the report said.
The standoff comes almost two years after the unrest around a match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ajax in Amsterdam in November 2024. The violence was preceded by racist and anti-Palestinian chants from Israeli supporters, along with vandalism and the tearing down of a Palestinian flag.
In August, a Dutch broadcaster announced it would boycott the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest over Israel’s participation, its second straight year of boycotting the event.
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